Aftermath
by Lady Marianne
Summary: AU S2. Robin Hood is dead. This is what happens in the aftermath. Outtake from "We are Robin Hood", but can be read separately.


**Here it is, the long awaited (?) outtake from _We are Robin Hood_ that deals with Robin's death. Okay, I'll be honest with you, it's not technically Robin's death, but what came after that. Look, if you're looking for angst, this should make your day -as reviews will make mine.**

 **As usual, I owe nothing.**

* * *

 **Aftermath**

When the soldiers arrive at the square, they don't find whatever it is they were hoping to find.

Admittedly, the events of the last few days have been so unprecedented that none of them has a clear idea of _what_ to expect. _This_ , however, is not it.

The King is still alive -they note immediately- and for a moment that is all that matters. They have lost track of him during the battle, so to see him sitting on the edge of the fountain looking relatively unharmed is a huge relief. But their attention is soon called elsewhere, to the small group of people gathered a few feet away.

They know these people -it is the group of people that arrived a few days ago with Robin of Locksley.

Finding them here is surprising enough (last thing they knew on the matter was that they were to be left in the desert to die for treason). The fact that Robin is nowhere in sight makes matters even more strange. And the fact that none of them seem the least bit worried about their King is even worse.

Sir Frederick, the oldest and most experienced of the five men that have just arrived, takes a step forward and clears his throat to call attention to himself. The King looks in his direction, as does the Saracen woman that is part of Robin's gang, but the other three men remain completely oblivious, all kneeling around something Sir Frederick can't quite make out.

The woman looks at them for a moment and then suddenly something seems to snap into place.

She gets on her feet quickly and resolutely walks towards them.

"Do you have a needle and thread?" she asks.

Her vehemence surprises Sir Frederick, who takes a step back while at the same time his hand flies instinctively to his sword. The woman appears completely unmoved by his actions and remains in her place, waiting for a reply.

He looks at the King for instructions. Slowly, the sovereign nods, indicating that he should do as she has asked.

He doesn't have a needle on him, but he knows that one of the men travelling with him usually does. He turns to him and silently instructs him to provide the woman with what she needs.

"Thank you," she says before turning on her heals and going back to her friends.

The five men walk towards their sovereign, expecting some answers.

"Robin is dead," he tells them, much to their surprise.

As he talks the rest of the outlaws move slightly away to make room for their friend and surely enough they can see it: Robin of Locksley lays pale and unresponsive among them. Dead.

The King tells them everything: about the ambush, Carter's rescue of the outlaws, Robin's insistence that he should go to meet the alleged Saladin in his place and finally Robin's death. They listen in silence, half in awe and half horrified.

Meanwhile Djaq has made it back to her friends and she is once again kneeling by Robin. Slowly, she puts her hand on Much's (who is still pressing his friend's wound even if it isn't bleeding anymore) and tries to move it away. The man turns sharply in her direction and his bright blue eyes scream what he cannot say outloud: _"I'm not leaving him"_.

"I want to sew him up," she explains softly.

There is a moment of silent communication between the two of them and then, finally, Much moves slightly out of the way.

Djaq doesn't start right away. Instead she takes a long hard look at who once was her friend and leader. She has decided to patch him up because it doesn't feel right that he should be left like this. It is too late for him now -he has been dead from the moment the sword pierced his skin, she knew that as soon as she saw the wound. She had tried -Much and her had tried to stop the bleeding, but they had only bought Robin a few moments to say goodbye. He died in her arms and she couldn't do anything to stop it. That is going to haunt her forever, so now she is going to sew him up, even if it is a waste of her time.

She owes it to Robin.

For a moment she considers closing only the flesh wound, but she eventually decides to be thorough. And so she sets to work, her needle methodically going in and out, in and out. She hates that she is met with no resistance. Robin, who would usually wince and flinch and complain every time she had to sew him up, just lays completely still, oblivious to her and everything else. Gone to a place where he can't feel pain anymore.

When she is done she leans back and admires her work -on of her best, she concludes as she blinks away the tears that have formed in her eyes.

The King waits until she is done to approach them. He chooses his words carefully: they are kind words, spoken soothingly, not at all like a command. But the intent is clear: they need to move.

It is a few moments before they can react. At first they just look at him as if they didn't understand what he is saying. Move? Move where? To do what? And then it dawns on them: Robin needs to be buried.

Much opens his mouth to say something -to object. But words won't come. There are no words, really. No excuse, no way around it. The King is right. He knows it, but he can't bring himself to move.

"There is nothing you can do for him anymore," Allan says, surprisingly gently. His fingers entwined with his and slowly -ever so gently- he moves his hand and the rest of him away. "All you can do now is make sure that he is properly put to rest."

He moves as if in a daze. Allan helps him to his feet and both of them take a step back. As soon as they have done so, the King's men swoop in. They carefully place Robin on a litter, which they will later carry between two of them. Normally they would simply throw the body on a horse, but something about who the man was and the circumstances surrounding his death lead them to treat his remains with much more respect than they treat the average soldier. Once they are done, the King gives a signal and they all set out on their way.

It is the sovereign himself who leads the procession. A horse was offered to him, of course, but he decided to walk instead. It is… more fitting, he supposes. Three of his knights walk slightly behind him, forming a protective half-moon around him.

Sir Frederick and Sir Albert walk slowly behind them, carefully managing their precious cargo -not that the cargo would feel it anyway. The outlaws close the march, two on either side of Robin, keeping a watchful eye on their leader.

About halfway through they encounter Carter. There is a moment of silence as they mourn the man who has helped them oh-so much: to the knights, he was a loyal friend and a steadfast companion; to the outlaws, he was the reason why they are alive. His body is treated with the same respect as Robin's and they are soon back on their way.

When they arrive, they are met by the two very surprised gravediggers. The King orders them to dig two graves, which they immediately set out to do. He also orders Sir Frederick and his men to leave, not wishing to intrude on the outlaws at such a private time.

"We will be fine," he tells his friend, who is obviously not comfortable with the idea of leaving the king unprotected.

It soon becomes clear that the graves will not be ready before sunset, which is not good for them, since they will have to walk back to the camp, so after a while Richard approaches Djaq and Will, who are standing a little out of the way, gazing at the horizon.

"We should be going soon," he tells them.

The woman turns her dark, sad eyes towards him. It is clear from them that she has already considered this.

"I know," she replies. Her eyes move towards the still unfinished grave and then back to where Much sits, Robin's head on his lap. "Can we say goodbye before we go?"

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

Djaq turns and exchanges a look with Allan, who is sitting in the shadow of the gravediggers' tent. It is her way of letting him know that they have to go, so it is time to say goodbye. Allan nods curtly, knowing that there is far a more unpleasant task before them: telling Much that is time to go.

All three of them walk together towards the couple. Robin has not moved a muscle since he was deposited on the sand, but then again, neither has Much. He just sits there, silent for once, looking intently at his former master as if waiting for a miracle.

Will, by far the gentlest of the lot, tacitly takes charge. He moves slowly, as one who is approaching a wild animal and doesn't wish to scare it. When he speaks, he does so in soft, gentle tones -more so than even his usual tone.

"Much…" he says slowly, carefully.

Much looks at him, but it is clear that he isn't really seeing him.

"Much, it's time."

Horror flashes in his bright blue eyes.

"No…" he says. "Not yet."

It hurts. It literally hurts seeing Much like this. Will can't help but be reminded of how his little brother had looked the day their mother had died: confused, devastated, scared… Much is older than Luke was then, but he still looks like a little child.

"We have to go before it gets too dark, Much," he explains.

"You have to say goodbye," Djaq adds.

A few more moments go by before Much reacts.

"Can... can I have a moment alone with him?" He asks.

The other three take a few steps back, but still stay close enough to keep an eye on their friend.

For a minute Much just sits there, watching, waiting... For what, he doesn't know.

"I can't believe this is happening," he whispers. "I can't believe -I can't believe that you -that I... It wasn't supposed to go this way, Robin! You promised we would make it back. Together. And now... What am I supposed to do without you?"

A solitary teardrop falls from his eye. He hasn't cried yet -there wasn't time for that. As soon as he stepped into the square and saw Robin standing there, blood soaking the front of his shirt, he has been in a sort of daze. There is no pain -not yet, anyway-, just emptiness. But now... It is starting to dawn on him -and the pain is making its way.

Noticing this, Allan approaches him and wraps his arm around his shoulders in support. It is a surprisingly uncharacteristically gesture, especially where Much is concerned. He is not one for any kind of display of affection, and Much's usual fretting has never sat well with him -in fact, both men have rarely seen eye to eye since the moment they met. But Allan knows how it feels to lose the person you have spent your whole life looking after, so he can sympathize with Much in ways that neither Will nor Djaq can.

"I didn't even get to tell him goodbye," Much says miserably. It is true. Robin did get to say a few words to his men -mostly about how they need to finish what he has started-, but he was gone before they could reply. "I didn't even get to tell him how much I love him."

It is a ridiculous statement. If ever there was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, that was Much the Miller's son. But Allan understands where he is coming from. "Are you kidding me?" he tries to smile, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "He knew -of course he knew. And he loved you too, in his own way."

"I was supposed to protect him." His grip tightens around Robin's weapons -the weapons he lost and Much wasn't quick enough to retrieve.

"You did, Much. You saved his life over and over again -he said so himself. But you can't win every battle. You know that and Robin knew that too. Nobody is blaming you so you shouldn't either"

Tears now fall freely down Much's eyes. He wipes them away furiously, but it is completely useless.

"I need to get out of here. I can't breathe."

He jumps to his feet so fast that Allan is slightly taken aback. He doesn't stop when he reaches Will and Djaq, he doesn't even care that the King is calling his name. He just has to go.

Allan turns to Robin and speaks quickly.

" I was a lowlife, a liar, a thief, not worthy of anyone's sympathy. And yet you saved me - _twice_. You gave me a home, a family, a purpose. You gave me your trust -for the first time in my life, somebody _trusted_ me. And yet I betrayed you," he shakes his head, thinking back to that awful day. How he had let Gisborne get inside his head the way he did, he will never know. Maybe it was because he had spoken directly to his own insecurities that he had been so effective. Anyway, Allan has never been one to cry over spilled milk, and he is certainly not going to start now. "I screwed up big time, and yet you welcomed me back with surprisingly little fuss."

He looks up to the horizon, where Much's retreating figure is becoming smaller and smaller.

"I will look after him," he announces, his eyes on his leader again. "You can trust me on this one. Fine, I know I haven't always been worthy of your trust, but I promise you I mean it this time. Consider it my way of repaying you for everything you did for me. Much is safe with me -you have my word."

He clasps Robin's shoulder and gives it a friendly squish.

"See you on the other side, Robin."

He gets to his feet and shares a brief look with Will to inform him that he is going to go after Much. The younger man nods and after glancing at Djaq for a moment, takes the place his friends has left vacant.

"You know -after you first left, I used to hate you. I used to think that you were an idiot who couldn't care less about us." He smiles slightly as he thinks back to the day when Robin returned. How happy Luke had been! But not him -oh, no, Will knew better. Robin could charm young Luke and old Dan, but he (Will) had known better than to trust a word he said. After all, had it not been his parting that had put them all in this situation? If he cared so much about them, he should have stayed. "I still think I was right, but you've proved to me and to everyone that you were so much more than that. You really did care for us. It was obvious from the start and I'm very sorry that I ever doubted that. I'm sorry I ever doubted _you_."

He sits in silence for another moment, trying to put his thoughts in order. There is so much he wants to say and so little time to do it...

"I just- Thank you, Robin. That's all I can really say. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for giving everything up for what you believed in." He pats his friend on the shoulder. "I hope you find peace. You deserve that."

The sun is setting and the temperature is dropping. Djaq shivers slightly as she kneels next to Robin. Will understands that his time is up, so he gets to his feet and takes a few steps back.

"I never thought I would grow to like England -not the way I was forced to go there. I always imagined that I would break free the first chance I got and that I would try to make it back to my home. And then I met you, the cocky Englishman that wanted to use me as bait," she smiles fondly at the memory. "I thought you were one of them, determined to use me for your own purposes without worrying or even thinking about my safety. But then you looked at me and instinctively I knew you weren't going to hurt me. You talked to me, you asked for my opinion, you even trusted me with your friend's life… Ever since my brother died, Robin, I've felt as if I didn't belong anywhere -you gave me that, Robin. You and your men -you made me feel welcomed, even in a strange land. I will miss you every day of my life and I will pray to your god and mine that we will get a chance to say a proper goodbye in the afterlife."

Tears have began to fall at some point during her speech and Djaq is suddenly grateful that neither Much nor Allan are around to see. She is so used to being Djaq, that she has almost forgotten what it means to give in to any kind of emotion. Admitting her love for Will had been hard enough; crying for the friend she lost is much worse.

"It's been an honour and a privilege to fight next to you," she says when she is somewhat calmer. She leans in and places a quick kiss on Robin's cheek, grateful that he hasn't been dead for long enough for his skin to have turned cold and rigid. As it is, he appears almost to be asleep, and Djaq allows herself one moment to be deceived.

Noticing that she is almost spent, Will walks towards her and helps her to her feet.

"Let's go," he says gently.

The look she sends him is almost agonized.

"There's nothing you can do for him anymore."

Finally, after some insistence, she finally agrees to follow, but she can't help but glancing over her shoulder from time to time. She sees the King talking to the gravediggers; she sees the men concentrated in their work, and then she doesn't see anything anymore: they are but a distant dot in the darkening horizon.

Much and Allan are waiting for them on the edge of the King's Camp, the former looking even paler than he had looked before.

"I don't want to stay here," he says when he sees them. "Can we go somewhere else? Please?"

He doesn't say it out loud, but the other three suspect that he doesn't want to face the memories of the camp alone. They understand.

"I'm sure Bassam will have us," Djaq replies.

"I'm afraid that is not possible," King Richard says, arriving just in time to hear the discussion that follows Djaq's statement regarding how they are going to get to her friend's house. The outlaws are tempted to complain, but being that this is their _king_ , they decide against it. All but Much, who surprises everyone by opening his mouth again.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but we really cannot stay here, not without -you know. It is just too hard."

"I understand, Much, I really do. Your loss is fresh and I can't imagine you drawing any sort of comfort here, even among your countrymen. But I really can't allow you to wander about the desert alone at night. It is dangerous, particularly in the state you are in. Allow me to look after Robin's men the same way he looked after mine: stay the night and by morning I promise you will be on your way."

There is no arguing that -even Much has to agree that it is not sensible to leave. And so they follow Richard into the camp, which is uncharacteristically quiet and somber -the news of Robin of Locksley's death has reached them and they can't help but feel sadness and even guilt at the outcome. The outlaws are offered some supper, but none of them is particularly hungry, so they retire immediately to the tent that has been assigned to them.

Much leads the way, head bend down, determined not to look at anything or anyone, until he reaches the safety of the tent. It isn't until he sees five pallets on the floor that he realizes that this tent has been prepared earlier that day when they arrived to talk to the King -back when Robin was still alive.

His eyes fill with tears and he all but crawls into his assigned post, his body shaking with violent sobs as he does so.

The others watch him from the mouth of the tent, debating whether to try to comfort him or just let him be. In the end they each decide that there's nothing they can say to him that will ease even a fraction of the pain, so they retire to their corners to deal with their own heartbreak in private.

None of them expects to sleep at all that night, but somehow they do. Djaq supposes it is due to their sheer exhaustion, not that she is feeling the least bit rested in the morning, she muses. Her limbs ache and she feels an emptiness inside that she can't imagine is going to leave her anytime soon. She looks around herself and finds Will wide awake looking back at her. When their eyes meet he shoots a tentative smile her way, which she replies as best as she can.

Allan is beginning to stir just then and in a moment he is sitting up on the bed. He casts a look around the tent, his usual grin on his face, until he is hit by the memories of the day before and the smile is replaced by a somber expression that is so unusual for him.

A few minutes pass and the three outlaws are confronted with the question of what to do next. It is funny, Allan muses, when has he become this person? Once upon a time, he had used to be in charge of his own life: he would wake up when he wanted to, go where he wanted and do as he wanted. And then he had met Robin, and he hadn't been his own person since. He woke when someone else told him he had to, he went where Robin sent him and did as Robin instructed. At one point he had thought he resented this, so he had accepted the freedom that Gisborne supposedly offered, only to realize later that he had simply traded one master for another -and not even a better one at that.

But anyway, he had grown so used to having someone around to make the decisions for him that he had simply forgotten how it was done, it seemed!

"We should get breakfast," Djaq is saying when Allan breaks out of his thoughts. She sounds as undecided as he feels.

"I'm not really hungry," Will replies.

"Me neither, but we _have_ to eat something."

"Shouldn't we wait until Much awakes?" he interjects.

"Of course! We must wait for Much."

It is almost funny to see the relief on his companion's faces when they realize that they have actually managed to reached their first decision without a leader, thought Allan has no reason to feel smug; he probably looks exactly like them.

Sadly, their relief is short-lived. No sooner have they decided not to decide anything until Much can join them that the man in question is sitting up on his pallet showing clear signs of having been awake all along.

"We have to go to Bassam's," he says in a tone that invites no discussion. "The king said we could leave in the morning and it's morning. We have to go."

Normally Allan would point out that Much has no right to order them around, but under the present circumstances, he actually feels glad that he has had the balls to step up. So he doesn't make one of his usual comments; instead he gets to his feet and starts gathering what little possessions he has brought with him.

"We'll go to Bassam's," Will agrees, he too on his feet. "After breakfast."

Much frowns at his friend.

"You _just_ said you weren't hungry!"

"I know, but Djaq is right, we do need to eat, particularly if we are going to have to walk all the way to Bassam's in this heat. We need our strength."

Much isn't happy about this, but he is a follower at his core, not a leader. So he gathers his things and follows his friends to the kitchen -or rather, the tent that serves such purpose.

Breakfast is a quiet affair. The soldiers usually grab a quick bite before they leave on their usual tasks, so no one bothers them as they sit in a corner trying to force some food down their throats. They finally decide that they are nourished enough, so they set about looking for the king to say their goodbyes. (This was Djaq's idea: she pointed out that they couldn't simply leave the camp without talking to the king).

They find Richard just as he is about to go searching for them. He looks tempted to order them to stay another day, but there is something in all four of their expressions that tell him that it would be useless to ask. They are leaving today, and there is nothing the king can do about it short of bound them to a tent. He has no intention to arrest them again, so he decides to let them be.

He walks them to the edge of the camp and shakes hands with each one of them -his subjects would not approve, he thinks, but he doesn't care; this men (and woman) have saved his life and are fighting day in and day out so that he may one day return to his dear England. They may be peasants and outlaws, but they are worthy of his respect and admiration. They have just lost the most important person in their lives for him.

"I am truly sorry that it has come to this," he tells them. "Robin was a dear friend to me and I'm sorry I couldn't protect him better."

Allan shifts uncomfortably, thinking that the king had played no small part in his so-called friend's death by not trusting him when he came to warn him about Vaisey. He doesn't say anything out loud, though; he is not suicidal.

He nods once and turns to leave, expecting the rest to follow him, but no sooner has he taken a few steps that he realizes that Djaq is not moving. He turns just in time to see her marching back to where Richard is already making his way back to the camp.

"Your majesty!" she calls. Richard is clearly surprised that she would use his title and a little curious to know what has prompted to do so, so he waits for her to come closer and state her business. "If it is true what you say -if you really mean that Robin was your friend- then you must honour his memory, you _must_ return to England. For him, if no one else."

There's a long pause during which Allan, Much and Will can do nothing but stare in awestruck horror as their friend -their _female Saracen friend_ \- openly defies their king. Will instinctively caresses the edge of his axe, even though he knows he is not really going to fight the Lionheart, even if she orders Djaq's arrest.

Not that he seems all that bothered by her comment, Will notes with relief. He is deep in thought, but he doesn't look as if he is sorting through the worst methods of torture he knows to punish the woman for her impertinence.

"You are right," he says at last and Allan's jaw drops. "Robin died to ensure that I lived long enough to return to England, and so I shall. I will deal with the traitors at home and I will right all the wrongs that they have brought upon my people. I will not forget Robin Hood and his sacrifice. You have my word, Djaq. However this is not the time yet. We still have work to do here, but soon..."

It isn't the assurance Djaq had wished for, but it _is_ something. She doesn't doubt that Richard will return home someday, she just wishes she could have conveyed more sense of urgency in her plea. Still, she should count her blessings.

"I'm looking forward to the day."

She bows politely and hastily makes her way back to her friends, who are still looking at her in awe.

"Have you completely lost your mind? What possessed you to talk to the king like that?" Much asks. He sounds frustrated, and for a brief moment it is as if Robin is still with them.

"Someone had to tell him," she shrugs, smiling for the first time in two days.

The trip to Bassam's takes them the better part of the morning. When they arrive they are sweaty and exhausted, but at the very least they are as far away from the camp as they can be. Djaq exchanges a few words with her friend and proceeds to show them to their room -they will have to share, but at least there's a bed for each one of them, with a mattress and thick covers to keep them protected against the chill of the night. There's also water for them to wash with, and even some clothes for them to change into. All in all, it is more than they have a right to expect.

The boys take the opportunity to change and shave, but soon leave to find ways to keep themselves entertained.

Allan goes to the kitchen. He still isn't hungry, but the smell that fills the house is making him curious.

Will goes to find Djaq. There's a question they need to address sooner rather than later, so they might as well take advantage of their relative solitude.

Much is the last to leave the room and he is not to be seen for many hours. (Later, when Djaq realizes that he hasn't come down for supper, she will go looking for him and she will realize that he has never actually left his room and that he is sleeping soundly on his bed).

Djaq is watching the pigeons when Will finds her. She is distracted, so he takes the opportunity to watch her for a while. She has changed her clothes and is now wearing a more traditional -and girly- garb. Her hair -longer now than it was when he had first met her- is neatly combed and styled. She is even wearing a golden bracelet and a ring -a family heirloom, she will later explain to him. He suddenly realizes that for the first time he is laying his eyes on Saffia rather than Djaq -and she is more beautiful than he had ever expected her to be.

She turns then and smiles.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, partly surprised and partly delighted.

"Watching you," he replies cheekily, and he wonders if Robin's spirit has possessed him somehow.

"I can see that. Why?"

"Because you are beautiful, Djaq, and I like watching you."

A faint blush colours her dark cheeks -blush! her!- and she looks down -as fair maidens are wont to do when they are being courted.

Will can't help but smile at the situation: here he is, in a foreign land, his friend has just died, and yet he is flirting with Djaq. And Djaq! Not half a day ago she had slashed some soldier's throat, but now she is wearing a dress and she is blushing at his words. Absurd, all of it! It has to be a dream, all of it. There is no other explanation.

But it isn't a dream. Right here, right now, they are in a bubble -a world of their own in which there is no Robin Hood, no Vaisey, no Gisborne; just them. But the bubble is going to burst -soon. And they need to be ready; they need to know where they stand.

"You want to stay in Acre," he states breaking the illusion. Suddenly Djaq is not the fair maiden who blushes when she is being flirted with; she is just Djaq.

"I don't know," she says after a short pause. "Maybe. Maybe not… I just don't know."

"You _do_ know."

She does know -or at least she thinks she does.

She has made the decision long ago: when she was taken from the land, she had promised she would make it back. Originally, she had meant as soon as she got the chance, but she had been sidetracked when she met Robin and the gang. She had started to believe she wouldn't make it back -not with the war still raging on; not when there were people in England who needed her. But she _had_ made it back. She is home and, theoretically speaking, she shouldn't want to leave.

But a small part of her does. She wants to avenge Robin, she wants to be there for Marian and John and Much and Allan. And she wants to be with Will too -more than she has ever wanted anything in her life. She doesn't want to fight anymore, she just wants a quiet life, next to her pigeons and her lover. Doesn't she deserve that, after everything she has been through?

"Robin is dead," she whispers.

Will wraps his arms around her.

"I know."

"We should go back -for him. Maybe when all this is over…"

"It might be years from now. We might die before we ever get another chance. Robin would want you to be happy. This is your home after all -a home you never should have been forced to leave."

"I don't want to lose you," she confesses suddenly. If she stays, she is going to have to give Will up and that is the only thing she is not willing to do.

He smiles down at her.

"Who says you will?"

"If I stay here, you will go and… I don't want that."

"I could stay, you know."

Her head snaps up in surprise. What is this? Will Scarlett, give Sherwood up for her? Impossible!

"You would stay here?"

"Of course!" he is not even half as enthusiastic at the prospect as he means to sound and he knows she is going to see right through the lie. "I don't care where I live, all I know is that it has to have you. You _want_ to stay; you _deserve_ to stay. So I shall stay -simple as that."

Before he knows what is happening she has thrown her arms around her neck and she is kissing him passionately on the lips.

"Thank you, Will Scarlett."

"Shall we tell Bassam the news?"

And so they do. They spend most of the afternoon talking with the old man about what Will's moving will mean for all three of them. When Allan joins the several hours later, everything has been settled.

The older outlaw can't pretend that he is happy when he hears the news about his friends, but he can't say he is surprised either. Robin has warned him that this would happen several weeks ago, back when they were still on the ship that was bringing them to the Holy Land. So he smiles at Will and hugs Djaq and makes some comment about not wanting to be around when they tell Much, but all the while his heart is breaking inside his chest. This trip has cost him three of his friends already.

When Much finally joins them, Will takes the opportunity to draw Allan to a side while Djaq shares the news with their other friend.

"I'm sorry," the younger man whispers. "I wish things were different, but Djaq has to stay with her family and I have to stay with Djaq. You understand that, don't you?"

Lately Allan has been worried that the damaged he has caused when he chose to side with Gisborne would be beyond repair -that his place among the outlaws and his relationships with his friends would never be the same. The fact that Will was eagerly asking for his blessing proves that he was wrong: there is still hope for him -hope for them. Will, at least, has forgiven him.

"Of course," he says and he really does mean it. The time he spent with the gang -and the time he spent away- has taught him a thing or two about putting other people's happiness before his own. "Djaq deserves a chance to be a woman again."

"Do you think she will?" Will muses. "Become a woman, I mean."

"For your sake, I really hope she doesn't try. At least not when it comes to cooking."

Both men laugh out loud as the memory of a certain night in the forest creeps uninvited into their minds. Djaq's lack of skills had destroyed not only the venison John had hunted down for them, but also Will's earliest attempted camp.

Will turns to the woman he loves, half expecting her to be frowning at the two of them, but falls serious when he sees she is hugging Much tightly.

"You will look after him, won't you?"

Allan -who isn't laughing anymore either- nods his head solemnly,

"Of course."

The man they are discussing joins them just them. He looks surprisingly collected -all things considered,

"Djaq just told me the news," he says. "Congratulations. I wish you all the best, I really do…"

"Thank you," Will says.

"This is not the end, Much," Djaq reminds him, joining their small group. "We may be here and you may be there, but that isn't going to change who we are."

"Robin Hood," Will finishes.

"Exactly."

Much's blue eyes turn darker.

"Yeah, right. Robin Hood without Robin Hood…" he mutters.

"No, Much, _not_ without Robin Hood. _We_ are Robin Hood, remember? Isn't that what he always said?" Allan reminds him, with Will and Djaq nodding their head vigorously in agreement.

It takes a while, but finally Much looks up to his friends. They are smiling -or something like that-, but he can see their pain and loss in their eyes as well. It is at that moment that he realizes that he is not alone: this people have lost a friend too; they might not have known him as thoroughly as Much did and they have certainly not loved him as much as he has, but they _have_ loved him and they _are_ going to miss him. And, above all, they are going to fight for him. He is not going to be alone in carrying the weight of Robin's memory on his shoulders: Djaq and Will from here, Allan, John and himself from Sherwood. _They_ are Robin Hood now; so long as one of them draws breath, Robin is going to be alive.

"To Robin Hood," he says, raising the glass someone has placed on his hand at some point.

"To Robin Hood," three voices echo in unison.

"To love," Allan adds, winking at Will and Djaq.

"To friendship," the woman counters.

Glasses empty, spirits lighter, they retire to bed.

The temporary peace they have achieved is not going to last.

Djaq wakes up the next morning to a heated argument between Much and Allan. Apparently the former wants to leave right away while the latter proposes they stayed for a few days more to take advantage of Bassam's hospitality.

"No, I _can't_ stay for a few days more; I can't even stay for a few _hours_ more! I hate this place. I hate _everything_ about this place! It's too hot and there is too much sand. And it smells! You have to have noticed the smell!"

He is rambling, Djaq knows.

"We never should have come here -I _told_ Robin we shouldn't have. But he never listened to me and now he is dead. Serves him right, I think. He deserves to be dead -I'm actually _glad_ that he is."

Allan can't take it anymore. He closes the distance between them and grabs Much by the shoulder to stop his nervous pacing.

"Okay, we are going!" he agrees. "Don't get yourself so worked up."

"I hate him," Much says with finality.

"Good. It's good that you're angry. Now what do you say if we channel that anger into something productive? Let's go break some havoc in Nottingham, ey?"

"That sounds… surprisingly becoming."

They leave that same afternoon.

Even though they have both declared they only needed each other to be happy, both Will and Djaq feel their friends' absence acutely. There's a gap in their hearts that can't be filled -not Djaq with her pigeons, not Will with Djaq's company. It is something that runs much deeper than either one of them suspect and it is going to be weeks before Djaq finally realizes that she is longing for home -the home she had made for herself in Sherwood, not this one she has inherited from her former self.

They miss their home.

But before they arrive at this surprising conclusion they are going to have to deal with another, much bigger, much more surprising revelation that comes to their door in the form of a templar.


End file.
